With the rapid growth of sports betting, the coffers of states, leagues and teams swelled quickly.
According to Sports Business Journal, New York and New Jersey combined to handle over $3 billion in January bets alone. With 21 states reporting for January, that number jumps to $8.357 billion. And if you add in Illinois, Arizona and Wyoming, which haven’t reported their results yet, that number inches closer to $10 billion.
With companies like Caesars, MGM and Draft Kings pumping sponsorship dollars into states and sports, CFOs are salivating at their inflated bottom lines.
But with that money comes great risk, temptation and poor decisions.
On Monday, Calvin Ridley manifested the latter.
Yesterday the NFL announced they had suspended the Atlanta Falcons receiver, who already missed the majority of last season due to mental health issues, indefinitely but for at least the 2022 season.
“There is nothing more fundamental to the NFL’s success — and to the reputation of everyone associated with our league — than upholding the integrity of the game,” wrote NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell in a letter to Ridley about his suspension. “This is the responsibility of every player, coach, owner, game official, and anyone else employed in the league. Your actions put the integrity of the game at risk, threatened to damage public confidence in professional football, and potentially undermined the reputations of your fellow players throughout the NFL.”
According to Lindsay Jones of The Athletic, Ridley placed multiple bets back in November in Florida via the Hard Rock Sportsbook app. One of those bets was on the Falcons.
The Genius Sports Group, which works with the league to verify data on players and team employees and safeguard the integrity of the NFL, verified Ridely’s bets and reported it to the league.
And with the widening acceptance of sports betting, this won’t be the first or last instance of a pro athlete betting on their own sport.
Calvin Ridley violated league rules. That isn’t in question.
What is in question is the NFL’s punishment for Ridley in contrast to its checkered history of punishments.
Some immediately brought up Ray Rice, the disgraced former Ravens star who viciously knocked out his then-fiance in a hotel elevator in Atlantic City in February of 2014.
He was indicted for third-degree aggravated assault, a felony that carried a jail sentence of up to five years.
Instead, he completed a program and had the charges dropped.
A few months later, the NFL rendered its decision.
A two game suspension and a $58,000 fine. For aggregated assault.
It was an absolute joke, one that commissioner Goodell was ripped for, and rightfully so.
After suffering through a month of ridicule and criticism, Goodell revised the NFL’s policy on assault, battery, domestic violence and sexual assault. The first violation would result in a six-game suspension. The second would lead to a lifetime ban.
The league eventually suspended Rice indefinitely, but the message was clear.
The NFL wielded a nerf gavel when it comes to punishing their star players for domestic violence.
Need proof? Here are a few of their embarrassing decisions.
Adrian Peterson received a 2 game suspension after being charged with felony abuse.
Greg Hardy beat, choked and threw his girlfriend around his apartment in 2014. After being convicted by a North Carolina judge, he appealed and secured a jury trial. But the charges were dropped after the two parties worked out a settlement.
Hardy originally received a 10 game suspension but had it reduced to 4 after the charges were dismissed.
Ezekiel Elliot was suspended for six games after facing a domestic violence investigation, the punishment validated under the league’s personal conduct policy.
That’s four incidents involving domestic violence.
When you add them all up, they barely exceed the 17 game suspension that Calvin Ridley just received….for betting.
Not cheating, throwing a game or hitting a woman. Betting. And while he wasn’t even playing!
Make no mistake. Ridley clearly violated NFL rules and should be punished.
But in light of the NFL’s checkered punishment history, especially when domestic violence is involved, Ridley’s suspension is extremely harsh.
“For decades, gambling on NFL games has been considered among the most significant violations of league policy warranting the most substantial sanction,” wrote Commissioner Goodell in his letter to Ridley.
It’s a shame that the league didn’t view domestic violence in the same fashion and respond with the same swiftness, urgency and concern.
Then again, it’s not surprising.
This is the same league that allowed Daniel Snyder to foster a culture of harassment in Washington.
And if they let that fly, what will they do if Brian Flores’ claim that the Dolphins offered him $100,000 to lose games is verified? Will they force Stephen Ross to sell the team?
Before you answer, don’t forget about the league’s role in allegedly colluding with team owners to blackball Colin Kaepernick right out of the league.
So yes, the NFL was right to punish Calvin Ridley. But when will their punishments finally fit the crime?
